Portable female urinal

ABSTRACT

The device for female incontinence comprises a collection and funneling container, a retaining member fixed to said container and adapted for removable vaginal insertion. The retaining member is positioned with respect to said container in a manner such that when the member is inserted into the vagina, the container is disposed at the urethral orifice so as not to contact said orifice. The container serves to collect and funnel urine discharged from said orifice.

O Umted States Patent 1191 1 11 3,776,235

Ratcliffe et al. Dec. 4, 1973 PORTABLE FEMALE URINAL 2,483,079 9/1949Williams 128/295 3,072,125 l/1963 OBrien 128/295 [76] f-" Ratchfiei3,194,238 7 1965 Breece, Jr..... 128 295 of ighienhl" Farm Park3,347,238 10/1967 Gresham 128/295 Burnley, England 3,374,790 3/1968Mayhome 128/295 [22] Filed: Dec. 27, 1971 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS [21] Appl No.; 211,905 378,760 6/1907 France 128/295 RainedApplication Data Primary Examiner--Charles F, Rosenbaum [63]Continuation 0t: No. 77,025, Sept. 30, 1970, Att0mey Bierman and Biermanabandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 710,889, March 6, 1968,abandoned.

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data The device forfemale incontinence comprises a col- Mar. 9, 1967 Great Britain11,103/67 leetien and funneling container, a retaining member fixed tosaid container and adapted for removable vag- [52] us. Cl. 128/295 inalinsertion The r ining m m er i po itioned with [51] Int. Cl. A6lf 5/44respect to said container in a manner such that when [58] Field ofSearch 128/283, 294, 295 the member is inserted into the g the containeris disposed at the urethral orifice so as not to contact [56] Referen eCit d said orifice. The container serves to collect and funnel UNITEDSTATES PATENTS urine discharged fIOlTl said orifice.

D196,473 10/1963 Hill 128/295 7 Claims, 4 Drawing PORTABLE FEMALE URINALThis application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 77,025 filedSept. 30, 1970, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No.710,8 89 filed Mar. 6,

' 1968, both now abandoned.

This invention concerns surgical appliances of the kind. used forovercoming the problem of, for example, incontinence in females, saidappliances being hereinaftertermed incontinence appliances.

Hitherto it has been difficult, if notimpossible, to provide anincontinence appliance which is completely effective in use.

One known form of appliance consists of an elongated pouch having aninflatable ring on the open edge thereof. An outlet tube extends fromthe pouch to a bag substantially vertical position. In addition thisform of appliance is undesirably cumbersome and thus complex andexpensive to produce.

The object of the present invention is to provide an incontinenceappliance in which the above mentioned disadvantages are removed or atleast substantially reduced.

According to the present invention, an incontinence appliance forfemales includes a retaining .member adapted to be remo'vabIy locatedinternally of a patient, said retaining member being connected to aurethral cap having an open end and adapted to be located externally andin the region of the outlet of the urethral orifice, the walls of saidurthral cap, in use, being .spaced laterally with respect to saidorifice, whereby contact between the latter and said walls is preventedand said cap is arranged to act as a funnel to collect and dispenseurine discharged from said orifice.

According to a further feature of the invention, the urethral cap ishollow and is adapted to be located at least substantially within thelabial folds and thus forms an intra-labial reservoir, and includes achamber, connected with which is at least one drain tube for removingurine therefrom, said drain tube leading to a container for the urine.

Preferably said retaining member is provided with an internal aperturecommunicating with said chamber, whereby any fluid collecting in theregion of said retaining member can be transferred to said chamber fordisposal.

According to a still further feature of the invention said retainingmember includes a cut-away channel portion communicating with saidchamber.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only,with reference to one practical form thereof as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in An incontinence appliance made'in accordancewith the present invention includes a retaining member 10 of resilientmaterial. The retaining member 10 is hollow and tapered towards one end.It also has a cut-away channel portion. 10a, the purpose of which is tobe described. Attached to, and preferably integral with the narrow endof the retaining member 10 is a urethral cap 11 also of resilient butslightly more rigid material.

The cap 11 contains a hollow chamber 13 which communicates with thechannel 10a in the retaining member 10. Attached to the wall of the cap1 l are two drain tubes 14. One end of each drain tube 14 opens into thehollow chamber 13.A bagor other container (not shown)is arranged to beconnected, via a pipe 14a, to one or other of the tubes 14 as will bedescribed.

A recess 15 provided by the hollow retaining member 10 communicates, viaan aperture 16, with the hollow chamber 13.

If required, a resilient ring 17, for example, of foamed polyurethane,can be located around the urethral cap 11 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, thepurpose of which will be referred to hereinafter.

The incontinence appliance is adapted for use with a patient in thefollowing manner.

The retaining member 10 is inserted into the vagina 50 and tends to beself-supporting therein by virtue of its tapered form. In this position,the appliance is so arranged that the urethral cap 11 is: locatedclosely and adjacent the body and is contained at least substantiallywithin the labial folds thus to form an intra-labial reser' voir. Inthis position it surrounds the outlet of the urethral orifice 52. Thedimensions of the cap 11 are such that the walls thereof are at alltimes spaced laterally with respect to the outlet of the urethralorifice 52. In this manner, the urethral cap 11 is arranged to act as afunnel to collect and dispense urine discharged from the orifice 52 andcontact between the latter and the walls of the cap is prevented.

When the appliance is in position, any urine discharged from the urthralorifice 52 is allowed to run into the hollow chamber 13 and thus runsaway via one of the tubes 14 to a bag or container.

It will be appreciated that, whether the patient is in an upright orhorizontal position, urine is free to run from the urethral orifice 52into the hollow chamber 13. The provision of the cut-away channelportion 10a, is such that, when the patient is in the horizontalposition wherein the urethral cap 11 may tend to fall away slightly fromthe surface of the body, stray urine is allowed to run downwardly intothe portion 10a and thus into the hollow chamber 13. Therefore, it isvirtually impossible for any urine to run outside the appliance, or toenter the vagina 50. Thus the danger of infection is avoided. I

The purpose of providing two drain tubes 14, one (the rear) beingsubstantially aligned with the retaining member 10, the other (thefront) being spaced therefrom as illustrated, will now be described. Inuse it is preferable that one drain tube 14 only is connected with thecontainer or bag, whilst the other is closed by a plug as shown in FIG.1 The selection of the correct drain tube 14 is dependant upon theprevalent position of the patient and the pressure of urine discharged.

Any fluid collecting in the vagina in the region of the retaining member10 is allowed to flow along the recess l5 and into the hollow chamber 13via the aperture 16 for disposal.

As already described a resilient ring 17 can be located on the applianceand is self-retaining thereon. Its purpose is to provide increasedcomfort and it can, if required, be medicated thus to reduce anypossibility of infection.

The appliance, whilst being substantially selfretaining, can be heldmore firmly in place by a surrounding garment or by straps as used inknown appliances. Alternatively, a ring pessary, of the type known perse, can be attached to the retaining member and inserted therewith intothe vagina 50 to be located in the upper region thereof Conveniently,the appliance is integrally moulded from resilient plastics material.

It will be appreciated, from the foregoing description, that anincontinence appliance, made in accordance with the present invention,is effective whilst being compact. Thus a user is virtually unaware ofits presence and thus considerably increased comfort is provided. Inaddition, in view of the fact that contact between the walls of the capand the outlet of the urethral orifice is avoided, the prevention ofinfection is further assisted.

Although the appliance is herein described and claimed as a device forovercoming the problem of incontinence, its function is as a urinarydrain for use whenever desirable. A further example of its use is incases of acute illness or post-operative treatment wherein other methodssuch as catheterisation has been previously used with its attendantdangers of infection.

What we claim is:

1. An incontinence appliance for females including a urethral cap, aretaining member attached to said urethral cap and adapted for removablevaginal insertion, said urethral cap being so disposed with respect tosaid retaining member that when the latter is inserted into the vagina,the cap is disposed adjacent the urethral orifice and surrounds thelatter without being in contact therewith, said cap being of such a sizeand shape as to be contained in use substantially within the labialfolds and capable of insertion therein without deformation of the cap;two drain outlets in said cap, at least one of which is open to urineflow, one of said outlets being adapted to receive high pressure urinedischarge and the other being adapted to receive a lower pressure urinedischarge, each of said drain outlets forming an intra-labial funnel andbeing disposed directly in the path of urine as it is discharged fromthe urethral orifree.

2. An incontinence appliance according to claim 1, further comprising aninternal aperture in said retaining member which communicates with saidfunnel whereby any fluid collecting in the region of said retainingmember can be transferred to said funnel for disposal.

3. An incontinence appliance according to claim 1, further comprising acut-away channel portion in said retaining member, said cut-away channelportion being adapted to said funnel.

4. An incontinence appliance according to claim 1, wherein saidretaining member is hollow and tapered towards one end, its wider endbeing remote from said urethral cap, whereby the appliance is arrangedto be at least substantially self-retaining within the vagina.

5. An incontinence appliance as claimed in claim 1, being integrallymoulded from plastics.

6. An incontinence appliance as claimed in claim 1, further comprising aresilient ring capable of being medicated, said resilient ring beinglocated around the urethral cap.

7. An incontinence appliance as claimed in claim 6' wherein saidresilient ring is made of foamed polyurethane.

1. An incontinence appliance for females including a urethral cap, aretaining member attached to said urethral cap and adapted for removablevaginal insertion, said urethral cap being so disposed with respect tosaid retaining member that when the latter is inserted into the vagina,the cap is disposed adjacent the urethral orifice and surrounds thelatter without being in contact therewith, said cap being of such a sizeand shape as to be contained in use substantially within the labialfolds and capable of insertion therein without deformation of the cap;two drain outlets in said cap, at least one of which is open to urineflow, one of said outlets being adapted to receive high pressure urinedischarge and the other being adapted to receive a lower pressure urinedischarge, each of said drain outlets forming an intra-labial funnel andbeing disposed directly in the path of urine as it is discharged fromthe urethral orifice.
 2. An incontinence appliance according to claim 1,further comprising an internal aperture in said retaining member whichcommunicates with said funnel whereby any fluid collecting in the regionof said retaining member can be transferred to said funnel for disposal.3. An incontinence appliance according to claim 1, further comprising acut-away channel portion in said retaining member, said cut-away channelportion being adapted to said funnel.
 4. An incontinence applianceaccording to claim 1, wherein said retaining member is hollow andtapered towards one end, its wider end being remote from said urethralcap, whereby the appliance is arranged to be at least substantiallyself-retaining within the vagina.
 5. An incontinence appliance asclaimed in claim 1, being integrally moulded from plastics.
 6. Anincontinence appliance as claimed in claim 1, further comprising aresilient ring capable of being medicated, said resilient ring beinglocated around the urethral cap.
 7. An incontinence appliance as claimedin claim 6 wherein said resilient ring is made of foamed polyurethane.